This archive report was first published on 24 August 2019.
On August 24, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta issued Executive Order Number Six of 2019, which further enhanced the power of Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.
According to the order, Matiang'i is now responsible for coordinating the delivery of national priorities and flagship programmes, in addition to his existing duties.
The changes are a follow-up to the directive issued at the beginning of the year, which placed Matiang'i in charge of more State corporations and the day-to-day running of government.
"To foster the integration of the functions of Registration of Persons and the functions of Immigration, the State Department for Interior and the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services are merged to establish the State department for Interior and Citizen Services," the order reads.
By virtue of chairing the Cabinet Committee on Development, Matiang'i is seen as a "super minister" of sorts, with his detractors calling him "the Prime Minister".
Earlier in the year, Kenyatta appointed Matiang'i Chairman of the National Development Implementation and Communication Committee, putting him in charge of all CSs.
The move further puts Matiang'i in the pole position in initiating, launching, and supervising development projects, a key facet that Deputy President William Ruto has been banking on to enhance his presence across the country ahead of the 2022 elections.
